Video Intercom Installation
Last updated October 2026 by the Douglas Security System team, licensed and insured NYC intercom specialists with over 35 years of experience.
A video intercom lets you see who’s at the door before you let them in. In apartment buildings, tenants can screen visitors and couriers from a screen or their phones. In houses, you can also answer the door from the kitchen, the bedroom, or the office across town. For businesses, staff can check visitors without walking to the entrance.
Douglas Security System (DSS) has installed and repaired intercom and security systems in New York for over 35 years. We also install video intercoms in apartment buildings, co-ops, condos, private houses, townhouses, offices, and storefronts. We serve Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Long Island. That’s why every installation starts with a free on-site survey and a clear quote. Call (212) 262-2820 to schedule one.
A video intercom has a few main parts, so a good installation gets each one right:
If any one of these is undersized or poorly installed, the whole system suffers. That’s why we plan the full system, not just the panel at the door.
There are three common types of video intercom, and each suits different buildings:
Many NYC buildings end up with a hybrid: a new video entrance panel with phone access that works alongside the existing apartment units. If that’s your situation, read our guide to converting an audio intercom to video. For brand-new systems, we’ll recommend the type that fits your wiring, budget, and how your building is used.
| Wired | IP / PoE | Cloud-connected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it connects | Dedicated intercom wiring | Network cable, often powering the device too | Internet connection to a cloud service |
| Calls inside the building | Work without internet | Work on the building network | May depend on the internet |
| Phone answering | Needs a gateway or app-ready panel | Built in on most models | Built in |
| Monthly fees | None on our Comelit systems | Depends on the system | Often charged by the provider. Ask before you buy |
| Best for | Buildings with sound wiring, reliability first | New construction and offices | Managers who want to update the directory remotely |
Apartment buildings need a system for many apartments. It must also handle heavy daily use and a steady stream of deliveries. So when we install a video intercom in a multi-tenant building, we plan for:
For large buildings, a multi-tenant system is a common choice. For example, there is the Aiphone GT Series with GT-1C7 tenant stations. Co-ops and condos often want a touch screen and phone access. For them, the Comelit Ultra Touch is popular.
For a house, a video intercom replaces the old doorbell or buzzer. You get a camera at the door, plus a screen inside. A typical installation includes one outdoor door station, one or two indoor monitors, and app access for your phone. If you want it, we can also add an electric strike or gate release, so you can open the door remotely.
A durable, vandal-resistant door station like the Aiphone JP-DV is a common choice for houses and small buildings. Two-family homes get a separate call button and monitor for each unit. That way, each household answers only its own visitors. Townhouses with a front gate can add a gate station with remote release.
Offices, medical practices, and storefronts use video intercoms to screen visitors before opening the door. A commercial installation often includes a video entrance panel. It may also have a desk station or app for the front desk, plus integration with keypads or card readers for staff. Many businesses also add security cameras at the entrance, so there’s a record of who comes and goes.
For small offices, a keypad like the Aiphone AC-10S keypad works well next to the video panel. Staff enter with a code while visitors call in. For larger sites, we can connect several doors. Then one person can manage all the entrances from one place.
New construction and gut renovations are the best time to install a video intercom, because walls are open and cable can be run cleanly. If you’re building or renovating, bring us in early:
Planning early usually means a cleaner installation and fewer change orders. As a result, the system is ready on move-in day.
We install systems from brands we trust and know how to service:
We’ll recommend a brand and model based on your property. We won’t pick what’s easiest for us to sell.
Modern video intercoms can do a lot. These are the features our customers ask about most:
You don’t need every feature. Instead, we’ll help you choose the ones that matter for your building and budget.
A good installation starts with a careful survey. When we visit, we check:
Once the survey is done, you get a written quote. It lists the equipment, the work, and the price. It also gives options when there’s more than one good way to do the job.
It depends on the size of the property and how much wiring is needed. A video door station for a private house is often installed in one visit. A new entrance panel for a small building may take a day or two of on-site work, if it can reuse good wiring. Full systems in large buildings take longer. So do installs that need new cable to every apartment. We usually schedule these in stages, since the entrance needs to keep working. We give you a timeline with your quote, so you know what to expect before we start.
Prices depend on the number of units and entrances, the equipment, the condition of the wiring, and the door hardware. Here are average NYC ranges from published installer pricing:
These are average New York prices, but not a fixed price list from DSS. We give you a free quote after the survey. For more detail, see our intercom cost guide. You can also ask about our no monthly fee intercom systems.
In New York City, some buildings must have a working intercom. These are class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, with eight or more apartments. The intercom needs two-way voice and a door release from each apartment. The rule comes from Section 50-a of the New York Multiple Dwelling Law. Older buildings, however, must add one when a majority of tenants request it in writing. A video system meets this requirement as long as the voice and door release work from each apartment. You can also read more about NYC intercom requirements.
Other approvals to plan for:
The best time to add access control and cameras is during the intercom installation. The technician is already on site, so cable can be run at the same time. Common additions include keypads like the Aiphone AC-10S keypad. Others are key fob and card readers for residents and staff. You can also add security cameras at entrances, lobbies, mailrooms, and package areas. Tying them together gives you one system to manage instead of three.
On Comelit video intercom installs, we offer a 3-year guarantee on Comelit material and a 1-year guarantee on service and labor. Other brands come with the manufacturer’s warranty. We explain exactly what it covers before we start. After installation, you have one company to call for questions, changes, and intercom repair. We also help when you need to add users, update the directory, or add another entrance later.
Apartment intercom installation is different from a house installation. One system serves many apartments, entrances, and people. A building intercom system usually includes an entrance panel with a tenant directory. It also has a station or app for each apartment, an electric strike on the entrance door, a power supply, and wiring that connects them. In many buildings, a new entrance panel can work with the existing apartment units, so the cost is lower. Multi-tenant systems like the Aiphone GT Series are common choices. So are touch screen systems like the Comelit Ultra Touch. See our intercom systems and our intercom cost guide.
We can only give you an exact price after we inspect the work. Every building is different. The price depends on the number of apartments and entrances, the age and condition of the wiring, the door hardware, and the equipment you choose. Two buildings with the same number of apartments can still need very different work. So a price given over the phone would be a guess.
That’s why every job starts the same way:
The price ranges on this site are average NYC prices from published installer pricing. They give you a starting point, but they are not a DSS price list. Call (212) 262-2820 to schedule an inspection.
A video door station for a house typically costs about $700 to $1,600 installed, and a video intercom for a small building with one entrance typically costs about $4,000 to $5,000 or more. These are average NYC prices, not fixed prices. Video usually adds roughly 15 to 40 percent over an audio system, and the number of entrances and apartments moves the total. We give you a free quote after a site survey.
A house is often done in one visit, since there is usually one door station and a few indoor monitors to mount and test. A new entrance panel for a small building may take a day or two of on-site work. Large buildings and installs that need new cable take longer, because pulling wire through walls, risers, and conduit is usually the slowest part. We give you a timeline with your quote.
In many buildings, yes. Our Comelit video intercom works alongside existing intercom units, so you can add video and phone access without rewiring the whole building. Existing apartment units can often stay while the entrance side is updated, which spares tenants and plaster walls. Corroded wire, shared conductors, and old splices can still cause trouble, so we test the wiring during the survey before deciding what stays.
Wired systems are reliable and don’t depend on Wi-Fi. IP systems are flexible and easy to expand, and they suit new construction and offices. A wired system keeps working during an internet outage because the signal travels over dedicated cable. An IP system carries audio and video over a network, so it needs network switches and a way to power each device. We recommend the type that fits your wiring, budget, and building.
Yes, with an app-enabled system. The Comelit Ultra Touch includes 15 app licenses, so tenants can see visitors, talk to them, and open the door from their phones. The phone rings when a visitor calls the apartment, much like the monitor on the wall. That helps when a tenant is at work and a delivery arrives, though the phone needs an internet connection to receive the call.
Not with our Comelit systems. They’re a one-time investment with no monthly payment. Some cloud-based systems from other brands have ongoing fees, and we explain any recurring costs before you buy. Those fees usually pay for hosted video, remote access, or a software subscription. Optional property-management software and call-log servers are priced separately, and you can skip them. The building owns the equipment it paid for.
Yes. We install video door stations, indoor monitors, app access, and gate or door release for houses, townhouses, and two-family homes. The door station usually sits at the front door or gate, with a monitor in the kitchen or hallway. Two-family homes often need a monitor on each floor. A video door station for a house averages roughly $700 to $1,600 in NYC, which is not a fixed price.
Yes. We work with owners, contractors, and electricians to plan the wiring before the walls close, then install and program the system near the end of the project. Running cable at the framing stage costs far less than fishing it through finished walls. Early planning also settles where panels, monitors, and door releases go, so the electricians rough in the right boxes and conduit.
We install Comelit, Aiphone, and DNAKE systems, including the Comelit Ultra Touch, the Aiphone GT Series and JP-DV, and the DNAKE S617. Which one fits depends on the building. Comelit video upgrades often work with existing apartment units and wiring, while another brand may suit a new build or a particular budget. We compare the options during the survey, looking at your entrance, wiring, and number of apartments.
Yes, as long as it provides two-way voice communication and a door release from each apartment, as required under Section 50-a of the New York Multiple Dwelling Law. Video is an addition to those two functions, not a replacement for them. The resident must be able to talk to the visitor and open the entrance door. The entrance door also has to be self-closing and self-locking.
Yes. We install keypads, key fob and card readers, and security cameras, and adding them during the intercom installation usually costs less than adding them later. The cabling, labor, and panel work overlap, so one visit covers both. Fobs and cards can be cancelled individually when one is lost, which is hard to do with a shared keypad code. A camera at the entrance also gives you a view of who came in.
We plan the work to keep the entrance offline for as little time as possible. For larger buildings, we schedule the switch in stages and tell you in advance what residents should expect. Staging usually means mounting and wiring new equipment first, then cutting over the entrance panel and apartment stations in sections. It is worth agreeing beforehand who will let in deliveries and visitors during the cutover.
On Comelit video intercom installs, we offer a 3-year guarantee on Comelit material and a 1-year guarantee on service and labor. Material means the Comelit hardware itself, while service and labor means how we installed, wired, and programmed it. Other brands come with the manufacturer’s warranty, and we tell you what that covers before you choose a system.
We install video intercoms in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Long Island. Our office is at 1541 E 46th Street in Brooklyn. Long Island work covers Nassau and parts of Suffolk, where local town or village codes and state codes apply instead of the NYC rule. That can change what an intercom must provide, so we keep it in mind when we plan the job.
Call (212) 262-2820 or use the form on this page. Tell us about your property and what you need, and we’ll schedule a free site survey. During the survey we look at the entrance, the existing units, the door hardware, and the wiring. It helps to know how many apartments and entrances you have. The written quote follows the visit, and you approve it before work begins.
For a small building with one entrance, a video intercom typically costs about $4,000 to $5,000 or more. Larger buildings are priced by the number of apartments and entrances. These are average NYC prices, and we give you a free quote after a site survey. Cost rises with long cable runs, door hardware repairs, and extras like app access, which is why we cannot fix a number before seeing the wiring.
A building intercom system lets visitors call each apartment from the entrance, lets residents talk to them, and lets residents open the entrance door. Modern systems add video, a tenant directory, and phone access. At the entrance is a panel with buttons or a directory screen, and each apartment has a station, either audio-only or with a screen. Wiring and a power supply connect them, and an electric strike or magnetic lock releases the door.
Yes. We install intercoms in pre-war walk-ups, elevator buildings, co-ops, and condos. We check the existing wiring first, and in many buildings we can reuse it. Older buildings often have plaster, brick, and aging cable runs, so we look for a practical path before anything is cut open. Where the wiring is damaged, repairs in older buildings average about $1,000 to $3,000, which is not a fixed price.
In class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, with eight or more apartments, yes. Older buildings must add one when a majority of tenants request it in writing. After that request, the work must start within 90 days and finish within 6 months, or 1 year for housing authority buildings. The rule is Section 50-a of the Multiple Dwelling Law, and it calls for two-way voice and door release from each apartment.
We can share average NYC price ranges over the phone, but we can only quote an exact price after we inspect the work. The price depends on the number of apartments and entrances, the condition of the wiring, the door hardware, and the equipment you choose. After the inspection, you get a free written quote and you approve it before any work starts.